Most Popular

Thus far, the former secretary of state has made a few blunders—her comment about being “dead broke” after leaving the White House, for instance, tied her in knots for days—and invited fresh scrutiny toward her very well compensated speeches (since leaving Foggy Bottom, she’s pulled down an estimated $12 million). Her book itself, though lauded by some, has also been panned by critics as a cautious, colorless account of her time as secretary of state. If Hillary Clinton is headed for a coronation, the chattering class hasn’t gotten the invitation.

So we asked a panel of top strategists and analysts in both parties: What, if anything, does Clinton’s 2014 book tour teach us about 2016? From Karen Hughes to Newt Gingrich, Joel Benenson to Anita Dunn, here's what they told us.

***

Karen HughesRepublican strategist and former George W. Bush adviser

The 2014 book tour made me think a 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential race would feel like a replay of the Bob Dole campaign, only two decades later. She seemed defensive and cautious, with not much new to say. Her husband had inspired us with the “bridge to the 21st century,” but it seemed as if she was stuck on the wrong side of it. And her “dead broke” comment was revealing because it shows she still feels put upon despite the many advantages she has.

***

Anne-Marie SlaughterPresident of the New America Foundation and former State Department official

Having taught a course that featured secretary of state memoirs from Acheson to Albright (paired with some international relations theory for ballast), I can attest that it is a rather specialized genre. Secretary Clinton followed in the footsteps of Albright’s Madame Secretary, which was the first such memoir to mix the high politics of foreign policy brinkmanship with personal anecdotes (how and when she got her hair done) that would make the business of the State Department more accessible and enjoyable for lay readers. Clinton similarly combines some genuinely new ideas about how to conduct foreign policy in a world of digital communication and mass politics with personal stories about other world leaders (Aung San Suu Kyi, Angela Merkel) and her own life (preparing for Chelsea’s wedding). From my perspective, the chief lesson of the 2014 tour for 2016 is that it is very hard to write a book about being secretary of state for a press audience that is primarily interested in whether you will be president.

***

Mark McKinnonFormer media adviser to George W. Bush and co-cofounder of No Labels

The one thing that is absolute about Hillary Clinton is that when it comes to the press, she’s damned if she does, and she’s damned if she doesn’t. Before the book tour she was being criticized for being too cloistered, and not opening herself up in public and not being available to the press. Now she’s being criticized for being too spontaneous, too off the leash and too exposed.

At the end of the day, I think it hardly matters. I think just given the physics, there was a real need for her to get out of the bubble. She did. Took a few hits. But she also relieved a lot of pressure that had been building to be more public, answered a bunch of questions and still looks like the Ferrari of the field.

***

Joel BenensonPollster for President Barack Obama

I don’t believe that a single voter will care at all about Secretary Clinton’s book tour or the media coverage of it. Elections—especially presidential elections—are about big things that are going on in people’s lives at that time. and should Hillary Clinton decide to run, her success, like any other candidate, will hinge solely on how strongly she makes that connection.

Hillary Clinton’s book tour was a grim reminder of what happened during the 2008 presidential campaign. She is very smart and very hard-working. She would have been a very powerful senator if she had stayed. She seems to find it very hard to find the rhythm of public media at a national level. Her performance did no damage among Democratic loyalists, but for independents it raised dismaying questions about how out of touch she is with reality. For Republicans, it was a wonderful comedy break from the pain of the Obama presidency.

***

Douglas E. SchoenDemocratic political consultant and former pollster for President Bill Clinton

The book tour underscores in fine relief the challenges facing a prospective Hillary Clinton candidacy for president in 2016. As in 2008, there is a compelling need for former Secretary Clinton to develop an overarching message of change and inclusion—something the book tour suggests quite compellingly is still very much a work in progress.

***

William KristolEditor of the Weekly Standard

Hillary Clinton’s book tour should have emboldened any Democrat who’s ever toyed with the idea of running in 2016 to get to work organizing his or her campaign. Hillary has sold many fewer books than expected. If she runs, she’ll win many fewer delegates than expected.